Review Sections

RICE (OUT OF 2.5 OZ)

Legend:

Mid-pile carpet

Low-pile carpet

Hardwood floor

Note:

(Longer bars indicate better performance)

This is the only test the H67 Pro successfully completed. It collected 2.27 ounces of rice on mid-pile carpet, 2.3 ounces on low-pile carpet, and 2.38 ounces on hardwood. That's a decent third-place score, beating out both the Neato XV Signature Pro and the iClebo Arte. It did have trouble reaching edges and corners, though, even with its dual side brushes.

PET HAIR (OUT OF 0.2 OZ)

Neato BotVac 85

0.17

0.17

0.20

Neato XV Signature Pro

0.15

0.15

0.18

iRobot Roomba 880

0.12

0.10

0.17

iClebo Arte

0.12

0.07

0.13

Infinuvo Hovo 510

0.00

0.00

0.00

Moneual Rydis H67 Pro

0.00

0.00

0.00

Legend:

Mid-pile carpet

Low-pile carpet

Hardwood floor

Note:

(Longer bars indicate better performance)

The pet hair tests were another story. After roughly 30 seconds of running, the H67 Pro said, "Please check the main brush." I checked the main brush and noticed that hair was tangled around the axle of the brush. I cleaned the brush and started the robot again only to receive the same error message and encounter the same sort of tangle. This happened several times in a row within a short period of time.

Pet hair tangled around the brush
Megan Wollerton/CNET

Ultimately, the number of error messages and the amount of active time I spent cleaning the brush was much more trouble than it was worth. It would be easier to forget the robot vacuum entirely and clean the hair yourself, whether by hand or with a more traditional upright vacuum. You could argue that 0.2 ounces of pet hair is more than most deal with on a regular basis, but, other robot vacuums -- particularly the Neato BotVac 85 -- managed to handle the same quantity with relative success.

This is also where I tested the shadow feature. I put the H67 Pro in my bedroom and let it travel around underneath my bed. As with the in-office testing, the bot didn't last long against the (probably large quantity) of pet hair that was hiding there. It quickly returned its familiar distress signal, "Please check the main brush."

SAND (OUT OF 1.25 OZ)

iRobot Roomba 880

0.35

0.58

1.25

Neato BotVac 85

0.43

0.45

1.22

Neato XV Signature Pro

0.48

0.45

1.12

Infinuvo Hovo 510

0.20

0.18

1.23

iClebo Arte

0.18

0.10

0.88

Moneual Rydis H67 Pro

0.00

0.00

0.00

Legend:

Mid-pile carpet

Low-pile carpet

Hardwood floor

Note:

(Longer bars indicate better performance)

The sand tests were also quite a challenge. I was able to complete two test runs on low-pile carpet before receiving a "Please check the wheels" error message. After cleaning the wheels and starting again, I got the same error message. I cleaned the wheels again, but the error messages persisted. No other robot vacuum we've tested has had this much trouble completing a basic cleaning cycle. The amount of effort needed to keep this thing running renders it completely useless -- it's supposed to be hands-off, right?

Colin West McDonald/CNET

While the pet hair and sand tests were disappointing, I encountered the biggest problems in mop mode. The robot would switch between cleaning the floor and stopping suddenly. Sometimes it would stop only a few seconds after leaving the dock and never recover. Other times, it would clean for a period of time and then pause, as if stunned with its motor still running and side brushes still spinning.

I noticed this on both the vinyl and ceramic tile floors. CNET Associate Editor Ry Crist also observed this while testing the Moneual Rydis H68 Pro and even requested a new unit, only to find that it also had the same problem. I discussed this issue with Moneual and they suggested repeating the tests in threshold mode, which is designed to help the robot traverse small obstacles like door frames. I tried this to no avail. The robot cleaned for a while without issue and then paused suddenly and stayed that way for 15 minutes until I turned it off and returned it to its docking station. If Moneual is able to come up with a fix for this issue, I'll be glad to retest and update this review.

Right now, though, Moneual's $400 Rydis H67 Pro is just too high-maintenance to recommend. If you're looking for a robot vacuum that truly simplifies chore time, take a look at the $400 Neato XV Signature. It doesn't have as many features, but it's a much more predictable performer.